


Secrets

by teagarden15



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25774768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teagarden15/pseuds/teagarden15
Summary: While dreaming of Izumi, Omi fears he could never show all of himself to her and still be freely accepted by her.
Relationships: Fushimi Omi/Tachibana Izumi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is partially a result of a conversation with tsuchinokooolove about Omi flirting on purpose, and about a backstage story where Omi says he tries not to show a particular side of himself. It made me think that maybe he works really hard to present to the world who he wants to be, but that he has another side to him.

“This isn’t too fast for you, is it?” Omi called to Izumi over his shoulder as they sped along the road on his motorcycle.

“Are you kidding?” she yelled back, tightening her arms around his waist. “This is amazing! I can’t believe I’ve never done this with you before!” 

Omi grinned behind his helmet and sped up, thrilling in the feel of Izumi’s arms around him. He’d wanted to take her riding along the coast nearly since he’d started riding his bike again. The weather was perfect and the setting sun cast bright colors across the horizon that had Omi’s fingers itching for his camera, except he had more important things to think about right now. 

He pulled off when he found a convenient location. He waited for Izumi to get off before standing. When she removed her helmet, she revealed her enthusiastic smile that he loved so much, her eyes shining nearly the same way as when she talked about curry spices. 

“I can’t believe you’re not out riding every day!” she gushed. “Or at least every week. I can see why Juza was so excited to get his motorcycle license. Hey, maybe I should get one!”

“You don’t need to go that far,” Omi said, his heart panicking for a moment at the thought of Izumi riding a motorcycle by herself. Not that he didn’t have faith in her abilities, but the thought of her getting hurt terrified him and he’d seen firsthand how carefree she could be while driving a car. “Besides,” he placed his helmet on his bike before lifting her chin with one hand, “that’s what you have me for right? I can take you riding whenever you want.” 

“Is that so?” she asked. “It wouldn’t be a bother?”

“To have an excuse to go riding and to have you to myself for a while? Are you kidding? That’s a reward, not a bother.” He grinned. “Besides, it also means I have an excuse to see you in a leather jacket. Have I told you yet how sexy you look? I want to take a picture of you on my bike if you don’t mind.” 

“S-sexy?” Izumi stammered, her face turning red. “Me?” 

She looked so adorable that Omi couldn’t help stepping closer so he stood toe to toe with her. “Yes, you.” He leaned down, the hand under her chin tilting her face farther up until their lips were inches apart. “Do you have a problem with that?” 

Her gaze caught on his lips before moving up to his eyes. “No. Though if I were to ask most people who’s the sexiest between the two of us, I think they would say you.” 

Omi made a dismissive noise. “Well, they’d be wrong.” Then he lowered his head and kissed her. He started slow, giving her time to react. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her nails lightly grazing his hairline and sending goosebumps down his arms. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tight around her waist. 

He pulled back enough so he could look into her eyes. “Is this okay?” he asked, his voice husky. 

“Do you think I would have come alone on a ride with you if it wasn’t?” she asked. 

Before anything more could happen, Omi’s morning alarm went off. He huffed, disappointment blooming in his chest as he shut off his alarm before it could bother Taichi. Wasn’t it a stereotype to wake up at the best part of a dream? Not that that was the real reason he was disappointed. The real reason was because he wanted that dream to happen in real life, but feared it never could. 

Over the past two years, his feelings for Izumi had grown so naturally and being beside her, whether they were cooking dinner or practicing for a play, felt like exactly where he belonged. However, as amazing as she was, he wasn’t sure that Izumi would be able to accept all of him in a romantic relationship. He was certain that she could as a friend, but a dating partner was a different situation. 

But he wanted it to work. He wanted to show Izumi all of him, including the small part of the Mad Wolf, wild and aggressive, that was still a part of him but that he worked so hard to keep locked away. He hoped that someday he could show that side of himself to Izumi and still have her accept him as more than a friend.


	2. Drinking Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After searching for Backstage Stories online this week (I would simply pay to get them all if they’d make that an option!), I noticed there have been a couple instances where Omi very purposefully only drinks a little bit of alcohol, if any, when it’s offered to him. It made me think that maybe there’s a reason for that.

Izumi hurried down the street, her eyes drawn to the sinking sun. She’d been chastised multiple times by her actors for being out after dark and she didn’t want to get another lecture from Sakyo tonight. 

It wasn’t as though she’d planned to be out this late, but the troupe she had just finished helping out today had offered to buy her dinner after work and she hadn’t wanted to be rude and refuse. She got along well with them and they’d talked long after they finished their meal. Before she knew it, it was late evening. 

She blew out a breath as she hurried along, feeling like she definitely needed to join her actors for their morning jog more often if walking this fast was nearly making her out of breath. It wasn’t as though there was a huge need for her to hurry, was there? In the years she’d worked at Veludo Way, there had only been one night where something had almost happened with two guys who tried to make her come with them, but Omi had interfered and scared them off. The thought that something had only almost happened once made her feel a little better about being out late until she heard Sakyo’s voice in her head telling her that once was all it would take for something bad to happen. 

She chewed her lip, telling the Sakyo in her head that he was a worrywart and overprotective. She didn’t dress like someone with money both because she had very little of it and because she preferred comfort over style, and she wasn’t very alluring because, again, she preferred comfort over style. 

Besides, she’d taken a self-defense class in college where the instructor had said that attitude played a big part of becoming a victim. If you looked or acted like you were lost, or like you feared any attention, you were more likely to become a victim. If you were confident and stared down anyone who was watching you suspiciously, they were more likely to back off because criminals didn’t like to pick victims who looked like they would fight back. 

She straightened her posture, throwing her shoulders back. It would be fine. No, she probably shouldn’t make a habit of wandering around at night, but everyone once in a while was fine, it—

Her next thought was cut off when a man went sailing through the doors right in front of her. She stopped and when she glanced at the building and saw that it was a bar. She amended her earlier thought that being out at night every once in a while was okay so long as she avoided certain areas. 

A tall, dark-haired man swaggered out of the bar, eyes on the man lying on the ground. “You want to try going after one of my friends again?” he asked. 

Izumi gaped when she realized she recognized that voice, though the rest of him was hard to make out in the dim light. It was Omi. 

“Tch!” the man on the ground grunted. “You think you’re impressive because you took down one guy?”

Omi turned enough that Izumi could see his face from the light coming through the bar windows and she could see his grin, arrogant, wild, and free. It wasn’t an expression she’d ever seen on his face before, even while acting, but it fit him somehow. “If your friends want to help you out and take me on, they’re more than welcome to.” 

Izumi’s heart leapt into her throat when more guys piled out of the bar, though she relaxed a little when she recognized Ryo and a few other former members of the Wolf Gang. Of course Omi wasn’t alone. He wasn’t the type of person to go out drinking by himself. He must have gotten together with a few of his old friends. Though now Izumi knew why Omi never drank with the Mankai Company. He didn’t want any of them to see him like this. Or maybe he was worried he’d start a fight. 

Two guys rushed Omi and she flinched, but he easily knocked them back. The former members of the Wolf Gang laughed and said something that she didn’t catch. When they shifted into fighting stances as well, the other guys backed off and Izumi decided this was a good time for her to step in. 

“Omi!” she said her voice falsely bright. “Hi! What a surprise to see you here. And Ryo and some of the others too! Hi! Sorry I don’t remember your names.”

“Hey, it’s the Director!” Ryo exclaimed, turning to his friends. “You guys remember her, right? She’s a nice lady.” 

Izumi turned from them to talk to Omi and jumped when she realized he had somehow gotten in front of her without her noticing. 

“Did you come here to fetch me home?” he asked, tilting his head while wearing the same smile he’d worn earlier. 

“Um, well, not on purpose, but since I’m here it seems like a good idea. Would you mind coming home with me now?” 

His hand slid behind her head, tangling in her hair. “Well, since you were so kind as to come get me yourself, how could I refuse?” Then he bent down and kiss her. 

When he pulled back, she heard Ryo yelling, “I knew there was something going on between them! I knew it!” 

Izumi gaped at Omi and he smirked at her, his eyes softening a little as he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Well, are we going home? Or did you change your mind and want to stay?” 

She shook herself, her eyes darting to the ground. Why was her heart racing? And why did Omi have to look so dang sexy standing there oozing confidence? Not that he wasn’t normally a confident man, but he was giving off a completely different aura than what she was used to. 

“Um, no, I think we should probably leave before you get arrested for assault.” She turned back to Ryo and the other former members of the Wolf Gang. “We’re going home now, so I’ll see you later, Ryo. Bye!” 

Ryo and the others waved good-bye and Izumi turned to go, grateful that Omi seemed willing to go with her. She took one step, then jumped when Omi took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. It wasn’t just the fact that he took her hand that surprised her, but that he seemed so natural about it, as though he’d done it plenty of times before and that it was a given that if they were walking down the street together, they’d be holding hands. And, somehow, it did feel natural to have her hand encased in his. It made her feel safe and cared for. 

Her mind was still stuck on the whole handholding thing when Omi suddenly frowned down at her. “What are you doing walking around at night by yourself? Haven’t I caught you doing this before? Don’t you remember what happened last time? I asked you to bring me with you the next time you went out late, and if I’m not around, at least ask Juza, or Sakyo, or one of the other guys who can handle themselves in a fight.” 

“I wasn’t out at night!” she protested. “I was having dinner with the troupe I just finished helping and it got a little late. The sun hadn’t set yet when I was walking home. It set when I stopped to watch you.” 

Omi stopped, which dragged Izumi to an unexpected halt since their hands were still intertwined. 

“You saw that?” he asked. She wondered if it was just her imagination or if he’d turned pale. 

“You mean you throwing a guy out a door and then fending off a few other guys? Yeah, so what? Omi, I already knew that you were a gang leader and that you can still fight. You were the only one who could get between Sakyo and Azami when they were fighting and stop them, remember?” Technically speaking, Chikage had offered to stop them as well, but had said he couldn’t guarantee that everyone would be alive afterward. 

“You’re not bothered by that?” 

The look of uncertainty bordering on fear in Omi’s eyes caused Izumi’s heart to squeeze painfully. Maybe this was really why Omi didn’t drink around the members of the Mankai Company. Not because he was afraid he would cause problems, but because he was afraid of how they might judge him. 

“Of course not. I mean, I’d rather you not get into a situation that would reflect poorly on the company if you can help it, and Sakyo would probably ream you out for that reason if he found out about tonight, but no, I’m not upset. You didn’t seriously harm anyone, and it sounds like the fight started because you were defending one of your friends.” 

Omi started walking again, pulling Izumi along with him. “Yeah,” he said, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. “Ren sometimes runs his mouth when he’s drunk and he pissed those guys off. Not that he said anything worth starting a fight over, but people don’t always think with the clearest of minds when they’re drunk.” 

They walked the rest of the way home in silence and Izumi was surprised at how relaxing it was to simply walk down the street hand in hand with Omi. 

They reached the Mankai dorms when Omi suddenly stopped and turned toward Izumi, pinning her against the wall. 

“There was something I forgot to ask earlier,” he purred, brushing the back of one hand down her face. “I asked you if my fighting bothered you, but I also kissed you and forgot to ask if that bothered you.” 

Izumi was so flustered she could barely speak. Where were all of these crazy pheromones coming from?! Had Omi always had the ability to do this? Had he ever done this to other women? 

“Um, n-no,” she said, though she hadn’t really taken the time to analyze the kiss yet. It had happened so quickly and she’d had other things on her mind since then. Like how comfortable it was to hold hands with him and how sad she was that he felt he had to hide part of himself from her and the other actors. 

“Good,” Omi said, his face lowering until his lips were a breath away from hers. “Does that mean I get to kiss you goodnight then?” he asked, his eyes on hers. 

Her mouth opened, she was sure to say something, or maybe it was because she was so surprised by the question, but, either way, nothing came out. Omi appeared to take that as consent and slide his mouth over hers, one arm wrapping around her waist and the other around her shoulders as he pulled her close. 

It had been a while since Izumi had dated, but she was pretty sure her previous boyfriends weren’t nearly as good of kissers as Omi. She lost herself in the kiss and Omi was the one who pulled back. 

“Mmm,” he murmured, near her ear, speaking so close to her that his lips brushed against her cheek as he spoke. “Been wanting to do that for a long time, but we’d better head to bed before I get carried away.”

“R-right,” Izumi agreed. Once inside the dorms, Omi gave her one last kiss on her cheek before going to his room. She went to her room in a daze, wondering if he was drunk enough that he wouldn’t remember these events the next day and what she would say to him if he did remember.


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always an aftermath when you come across the person you like while drunk.

Omi woke up with a groan, rubbing his hands over his face. He couldn’t remember why he’d decided it was an okay idea to go drinking with this old gang, only that Ryo had been able to talk him into it. He should have made Ren promise that he wouldn’t run his mouth before agreeing to go drinking with them. Ren had done what he usually did, which led to a fight, as it often did, and then—Omi sat straight up in bed, his wide eyes staring unseeing at the wall. 

No. No, no, no. Izumi couldn’t have come across him while he was drunk and fighting. And he couldn’t have—Cutting off the thought before he could finish it, he pulled out his phone and texted Ryo. 

‘Did Izumi come by while we were drinking last night?’

He waited anxiously for the reply, tapping his fingers on his knee. Finally, Ryo responded. 

‘Yep! She came and took you home, which is kind of adorable. Also, how could you not tell me that you two got together??? You know that I would totally support that ’ 

A gnawing started in Omi’s gut and for a moment he wondered if he was going to be sick. 

How could he have screwed up so epically? He mentally ticked off his mistakes inside his mind. First, she’d seen him drunk and acting like his old self, which included fighting. Then he’d kissed her. The end of the night was kind of fuzzy and he didn’t remember actually getting into bed, so who knew what else he’d done. 

He dropped his face into his hands. He’d probably ruined his relationship with Izumi entirely, let alone the possibility of a romantic relationship with her. 

A soft knock sounded on the door, but he didn’t respond. Taichi’s bed was empty, which meant Omi must have slept in. 

The door opened a crack and he heard Izumi’s voice softly say, “Omi? Are you awake yet?” 

His stomach seized again. He wasn’t ready for this. He hadn’t thought of what he should say to her, or of how he could possibly apologize properly for what had happened. 

She opened the door a little wider and saw that he was sitting up in bed. “I brought some water and some toast and egg,” she said, holding up the cup and plate to show him. “Do you think you can eat yet? If not, you should at least have something to drink.” 

When he realized she planned to stay at the door unless he invited her in, he said, “Come on in, Izumi. I appreciate you bringing those, though you shouldn’t have felt like you needed to. I don’t—” The words got stuck in his throat, but he didn’t deserve this help, not from her, not after what he’d done. 

She placed the food and water on the coffee table on his side of the room and sat on the couch. She looked at him, then turned bright red and turned her gaze to the food instead. 

Omi looked down and realized that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. All he had on from last night was his boxer shorts. 

“Sorry,” he apologized, sliding out of bed and to his dresser to put on more clothes. This morning was just getting better and better. 

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Izumi waved off. “I’m the one who came to your room unexpectedly.” 

Fully dressed now, he sat down on the other end of the couch. “Don’t I have things I need to apologize for?” he asked. 

Izumi frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, if anything, then you should apologize to me and Autumn Troupe for not thinking that we could accept all of you, for being afraid that maybe if you showed us the parts of you that made up the Mad Wolf, we wouldn’t still love you the same.”

Omi blinked. She wasn’t angry? Or, at least, it sounded like she wasn’t angry. Hope bloomed in his chest and he moved a little closer to her. 

“You’re not upset about what happened last night?”

She shook her head. “Last night was a surprise, but no. I meant it when I told you I’d rather you avoid fighting in a setting that might reflect poorly on the company, but I’m not upset about it.”

“And what about the other part of last night? After the fighting when I . . . when I kissed you?” 

Izumi bit her lip, her cheeks during red. “I—well I certainly didn’t expect that, but I wasn’t angry about it.” She hesitated. “You told me last night that you’d wanted to kiss me for a long a time. Did you mean it?” 

Now it was his turn to hesitate, but he figured her owed her an answer to that question after she’d forgiven him for last night. Or, more like, had never been mad about it in the first place. He’d been so worried that the relief was almost enough to make him light-headed. “Yes,” he admitted. “That was the truth. I haven’t said anything about how I feel because I know how dedicated you are as our director and how focused you are on that right now. And, I was also afraid that maybe you couldn’t accept all of me. I didn’t really want to find out if the answer was no, and I didn’t want us to date without you knowing that I still have that side of me, the side that was the Mad Wolf.” 

To his surprise, she blushed and glanced down at her hands. “Um, no, I more thought you were sexy then anything actually,” she admitted, nearly causing Omi to choke on his spit. Had Izumi Tachibana, the woman who thought of nothing but theater and curry, really just called him sexy? “Well, not the fighting part, but I remember thinking that the smile you showed while fighting fit you.” She shrugged. “I guess my thought is that Omi is Omi. I’m glad that I got to learn more about you. I’d . . . like to continue to learn more about you if that’s okay.” 

He slid closer again, his arm going along the back of the couch and nearly brushing her shoulders. “Izumi, are you asking me out?” 

“Um, yes, I guess I am.” She looked up at him with such an adorably open and uncertain look in her eyes that it was an effort not to crush her to his chest. “But maybe we can go on a proper date before we kiss again.”

He grinned. “I have the perfect idea. How would you feel about driving the coastline on my bike?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might end up doing more fics exploring what I’m thinking of as Omi’s hidden side, because it intrigues me. Then again, I have about two pages worth of A3! story ideas that I want to write and haven’t finished Wish yet, so maybe I should stop trying to be so ambitious about these things, lol.


End file.
